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Monday, 23 March 2015

‘NATION’ DEFIANT ON JAILED JOURNALISTS

As Swaziland editor Bheki
Makhubu and writer and human rights lawyer, Thulani Maseko, marked a year spent
in jail for writing and publishing articles critical of the Swaziland
judiciary, the Nation, the monthly
magazine they worked for remained defiant.

In an editorial comment in the March 2015
edition, the Nation stated, ‘This
edition marks the first anniversary since the editor of this magazine, Bheki
Makhubu, was put behind bars following contempt of court charges the Chief
Justice, Michael Ramodibedi, preferred against him.

‘Together with our
columnist and human rights lawyer, Thulani Maseko, Makhubu is serving a
two-year sentence following his conviction on July 27 [2014] after he was
arrested on March 18. Maseko was arrested a day earlier.

‘What we find interesting
is that the constitution, which King Mswati III said the nation should defend,
has failed to protect the duo.’ It added, ‘They are persecuted for merely
exercising their rights as provided in the very same constitution
the nation was called upon to uphold. However, this will not deter this
magazine from doing what it has always promised its readers; speaking truth to
power.

‘The fact that a year
later we’re still in circulation despite the challenges resulting from a
marathon case that saw the imprisonment of our colleagues is proof that we have
earned our credibility. It’s a pity that, as demonstrated during the trial,
some people lost their credibility as they were trying to do their master’s
bidding.

‘The
Nation chooses to remain loyal
to the truth, and nothing else. That’s why we’ll remain standing for many more
years to come, jail or no jail.’

The defiant message came
as news leaked from Big Bend Prison, Lubombo, that Maseko had been placed
in solitary confinement for three weeks as a punishment after a letter
he wrote from his cell was widely circulated on the Internet and social
media.

In the letter Maseko
thanked the thousands of people all over the world who have spoken out against
his jailing.

The latest move has been
condemned around the world. Among the most recent groups to speak out was the Southern
Africa Litigation Centre (SALC).
It said the United Nations General Assembly called solitary punishment ‘cruel
and degrading treatment’.

Kaajal Ramjathan-Keogh,
SALC’s executive director, said in a statement, the Swazi Constitution provided
that ‘a person shall not be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading
treatment or punishment,’ and Swaziland was a signatory to the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which prohibited the use of torture or
cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment.

The Federation
of African Journalists (FAJ) asked for the release of the two writers. Mohamed
Garba President of FAJ, said, ‘The King Mswati III of Swaziland should order
the release of both the journalist and his lawyer after one year in prison.’

Garba added, ‘FAJ is
raising serious concerns on the permanent attempts by the Kingdom of the Swazi
authorities to muzzle all freedoms.’

FAJ added in a statement,
‘The Kingdom of Swaziland has been portrayed as one of the most repressive
regimes in Africa and freedom of expression and freedom of association have
been under siege since time immemorial.’